LIVONIA (WKZO) -- U.S. Representative Thad McCotter may have picked a bad time to leave the country. He was on a trip to South Korea, part of a 6 member congressional delegation meeting with leaders there to talk about the nuclear threat presented by North Korea. Word came Friday that McCotter had failed to submit enough valid petition signatures to qualify for the August primary. Sources say he wasn’t even close.

When McCotter returns, he reportedly plans to review the petition signature and assess his options. A source close to the Congressman tells the MIRS news agency that he would probably run as a write-in candidate in the August Primary.He would face off against Kerry Bentivolio, a teacher, a veteran and a long time Republican, whose name would appear on the ballot.